Emma vs Olive
Emma and Olivecompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #28 and Olive #247 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
New Zealand · Girls
In 2023, Emma was ranked #67 and Olive #33 among girls in New Zealand.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #69 and Olive #53 among girls in England and Wales.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #53 and Olive #106 among girls in Scotland.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
In 2025, Emma was ranked #65 and Olive #68 among girls in New South Wales, Australia.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Emma was ranked #84 and Olive #119 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Emma and Olive over time
Emma and Olive appear together in 5 published lists, across 125 years of shared records. Emma held the stronger position in more years in 5 of them, Olive in 0.
The order between them changed and held in 3 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Emma reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 4 of those lists, Olive in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One took the other's place near the top
In Republic of Ireland · Girls, Emma moved into the top 50 at #36 in 1976 as Olive fell out of it to #88, having been #34 the year before.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2023, Olive moved ahead of Emma in England and Wales · Girls — #68 and #74 the year before became #71 and #57.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Emma and Olive changed places 5 times in Republic of Ireland · Girls between 1964 and 2025, ending at #28 and #247.
- Longest-running competitions
Emma and Olive were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 58 years, from 1964 to 2025, ending at #28 and #247.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls58 shared years, 1964–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Olive in 8.
Highest recorded here: Emma #1 in 2003, Olive #34 in 1975.
The order changed in 1976: Emma moved ahead. In 1975 they stood at #38 and #34; by 1976 that had become #36 and #88.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #28, Olive #247.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Olive in 2.
Highest recorded here: Emma #13 in 1997, Olive #53 in 2024.
The order changed in 2023: Olive moved ahead. In 2022 they stood at #68 and #74; by 2023 that had become #71 and #57.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #69, Olive #53.
New Zealand · Girls14 shared years, 2010–2023
Emma held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Olive in 4.
Highest recorded here: Emma #10 in 2010, Olive #21 in 2022.
The order changed in 2020: Olive moved ahead. In 2019 they stood at #27 and #44; by 2020 that had become #45 and #23.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Emma #67, Olive #33.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls13 shared years, 2013–2025
Emma held the stronger position in 12 of those years, Olive in 1.
Highest recorded here: Emma #20 in 2013, Olive #55 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emma #65, Olive #68.
Northern Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 2013–2024
Emma held the stronger position in 11 of those years, Olive in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emma #18 in 2013, Olive #119 in 2024.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emma #84, Olive #119.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Emma | Olive |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | A shortened form of Germanic names beginning with the element 'irmin' ('whole, great'), from Proto-Germanic *ermunaz. Introduced to England by Emma of Normandy, wife of King Ethelred II and later King Canute; further popularised by Jane Austen's 1816 novel Emma. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Germanic | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛm.ə/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #1 (2025) | New South Wales, Australia · Girls #68 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Emma has a recorded origin (Germanic); Olive does not have one recorded yet.
- Emma has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Olive.
- A meaning is recorded for Emma; Olive doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NZ.
How each name got here
Emma
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #342 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1969–2023
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in New Zealand, in 2003 (recorded 1969–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #65 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Olive
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #72 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2010–2023
Highest recorded position: #21 among girls in New Zealand, in 2022 (recorded 2010–2023).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #68 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls